NOTE:  Mr. Martin's column also appeared in the Calgary Herald today: “Farcical to tinker with gun registry”

PUBLICATION:              National Post

DATE:                         2004.02.24

EDITION:                    National

SECTION:                  Comment

PAGE:                         A16

COLUMN:                  Don Martin

BYLINE:                     Don Martin

SOURCE:                   National Post

DATELINE:                 OTTAWA

NOTE: dmartin@nationalpost.com

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Martin takes aim, misfires

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OTTAWA - As an opening shot of pre-election damage control, it's low-calibre ammunition. But a plan up for discussion at the inner Cabinet in the next week or so puts that crime-busting joke of a billion-dollar federal firearms registry into full legal farce.

Sources confirm the feds will decriminalize the firearms registry before the election. It will remove fail-to-register violations from the federal Criminal Code and place them under the kinder, gentler Firearms Act. It is not expected to encounter serious objections from Paul Martin's top ministers.

It means duck hunters, gun collectors and self-governed natives would no longer risk a criminal record if convicted of possessing an unregistered rifle or face the theoretical, but very unlikely, spectre of a jail sentence for non-compliance. In lieu of a court date, they'd get a ticket with a modest fine attached.

But even that slap on the wrist for registry-resistant gun owners might not exist for long. Enforcing the Firearms Act is a provincial responsibility. And eight of the 10 provinces -- Quebec and Prince Edward Island being the lone federal toadies -- will not prosecute registry violations.

That means a gun registry that doesn't actually work will no longer be backed by force of law in provinces with three-quarters of the Canadian population. In short, the registry and the law become even more asinine, if that's possible.

While other registry tinkering is being explored in the extensive and intensive registry review by Civil Preparedness Minister Albina Guarnieri, who will address a convention of hunters and anglers this Thursday in Toronto, decriminalization will be the main push to ease public angst at Jean Chretien's firearms folly.

Sources say the package -- including fee reductions and tighter gun storage requirements -- could end up before Parliament as a free vote before the expected election call in April.

But what Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz calls "a tiny step in the right direction" is the only action Canadians can expect to rein in the out-of-control Auditor-General-condemned registry.

While costs have continued to escalate far above budget and police-verified examples of the registry actually preventing or circumventing gun-toting crime simply do not exist, the Liberals cannot abandon the registry entirely because, inexplicably, it still has strong support in their political strongholds.

Western officials tell me the Toronto and Quebec caucuses stand as a single block behind the registry, refusing to even consider scrubbing or watering down the concept.

Prime Minister Paul Martin admitted as much last week. While refusing to confirm decriminalization was being planned -- "I'm not going to scoop what Albina's going to do or not do" -- the Prime Minister admits the issue triggers stark regional polarizations.

"There's no doubt this is a Western issue, but also a very big issue in rural Ontario, rural Quebec and rural Atlantic Canada," he said in an interview. "The importance of gun control ... may be felt very strongly, but it's also felt very strongly on the other side."

Particularly problematic for Martin is the West, where he has pledged to make Liberal electoral gains a legacy accomplishment. For Westerners, the gun registry has longer legs then even the Quebec sponsorship scam as proof their tax dollars by the billions are being put to death on Parliament Hill.

Little wonder. The registry continues to backfire on the balance sheet. Direct costs and related expenses have soared $30-million over budget for this fiscal year. And there's still that nagging $300-million contract from a private consortium to run the registry through 2008.

Keeping it around flunks every one of Martin's litmus tests for continued program spending, starting with its inability to deliver efficiency, affordability or value for money.

But after so much money has been squandered, it cannot be easily trashed politically. Besides, those who somehow believe a billion dollars will be saved for better purposes by the registry's elimination simply do not understand the concept. It's already gone. Down the drain. In a giant sucking sound. Lost forever.

Meanwhile, long-necked gun crime continues a drop which started a decade before the registry was put in place while crimes involving handguns, which have been registered for a fraction of the cost since 1934, escalates.

So bring on decriminalization, if only to save Western ministers Anne McLellan and Ralph Goodale from an electoral firing squad while eliminating the risk of innocent hunters and collectors with criminal records.

After all, once law enforcement refuses to prosecute Canada's armed resistance, the obvious becomes official: The federal gun registry is just shooting blanks.

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CANADIAN POLICE ASSOCIATION'S "DECRIMINALIZATION" PROPOSAL

In a letter dated March 27, 2001 and sent to all MPs by Grant Obst, President of the Canadian Police Association wrote: “Consequences of simple non-compliance with the administrative requirements of the program, such as failing to notify CFC of change of address, should be treated in a remedial regulatory manner and not normally subject to criminal sanctions and/or licence revocation.”

JUSTICE MINISTER'S USER GROUP ON FIREARMS "DECRIMINALIZATION" PROPOSAL"

On January 31, 2003, the User Group recommendation to the Minister of Justice stated: “Decriminalize all firearms activities where no criminal intent or activity occurs.”

"POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS – FIREARMS PROGRAM"

Memorandum to the Minister, Bilateral Meeting, November 3, 2003

by William V. Baker, Commissioner of Firearms

http://www.cssa-cila.org/garryb/publications/Article272.htm